Results 10,081-10,100 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In order for this country to adhere to its agreed economic recovery programme and to reduce the budget deficit to 3% of GDP by 2015 it is necessary to seek to reduce expenditure across all areas of my Department. Unfortunately this involves difficult decisions including the decision in Budget 2012 to increase the Student Contribution to €2,250 for the 2012/13 academic year. While the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Policy: Higher Education Policy (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: An implementation oversight group for the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 was established over a year ago and is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. Nominations for membership have been provided by the Department of Education and Skills, the Higher Education Authority, Irish Universities Association, Institutes of Technology Ireland, the interim Qualifications...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that I will shortly publish a five year plan outlining the school building projects that will commence construction in that time The plan, when finalised, will be published on my Department's website. On the 19th December last, I announced details of 56 major school building projects to commence construction in 2012 as part of the €430 million education...

Written Answers — Higher Level Grants: Higher Level Grants (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government indicated that the Government would "develop cultural and diplomatic links with emerging markets including through a scholarship scheme". A similar recommendation is also made in the international education strategy 2010-2015. It is in Ireland's long-term interests to identify and educate the next generation of business, political and cultural leaders in emerging...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The cost to the Exchequer of paying increments to teaching staff employed in primary schools in 2011 was €14.48 million, and €4.84 million to teaching staff in secondary and community / comprehensive schools. In respect of Vocational Educational Committees the information requested by the Deputy is not held within my Department. As each individual VEC is a separate employer it would...

Written Answers — Third Level Staffing: Third Level Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Individual higher education institutions have autonomous responsibility for the management of staff resources. While teaching hours norms are specified under standard agreed contracts for academic staff in the institute of technology sector, in the case of the university sector there would be a variation of individual teaching loads as part of overall academic duties. Under the terms of the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Public Service Pensions Related Deduction (PRD) applies to a public servant who is employed or holds an office or position in a public service body and is a member of a public service pension scheme or receives payment in lieu of membership of a pension scheme. A person who is not a member of a public service pension scheme, as defined in the legislation, or in receipt of a payment in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998. In recognition of the additional pressure of students facing state examinations, and the concerns of teachers who wish to ensure continuity of support for these children, I have made provision, for this...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Projects: Cross-Border Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Education, Northern Ireland, is currently engaged in planning for a joint attitudinal survey exercise to inform cross-border pupil movement and school planning in the border region. The aim of the survey is to establish parental preference in schools and to enable those parents, who so wish, to send their children to schools on the other...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) currently provides specific training for mentors in the areas of mentor qualities, the role and responsibilities of the mentor and the role of the principal and the newly qualified teacher in the induction programme. The NIPT runs Initial Mentor Training Programmes throughout the year and this programme is open to teachers who wish to be...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 39 and 44 together. My Department has just recently published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school management and staff of the staffing arrangements for post-primary schools for the 2012/13 school year, including in particular, the requirements to manage guidance from within the standard allocation. The circular is available on the...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 46 together. Responsibility for the payment of insurance to cover employers and public liability, and property damage rests with the Board of Management of primary schools, voluntary secondary schools and with the VEC in respect of schools operated by them. My Department does not gather information from schools or VECs as to the cost of providing...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wrote to all the congregations on 5th July last setting out the Government's response to the offers made and subsequently met with representatives of most congregations on 22nd July 2011. I have since met with the remaining congregations who were not in attendance at the July meeting on the following dates: the Sisters of Mercy and the Institute of Charity (Rosminians) on 21st November,...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) are employees of the VECs and are paid directly by the Committees which employ them. The Deputy should note that the CEO is not a member of the VEC. CEOs do not receive expenses for attendance at VEC meetings. However, travel and subsistence is payable in accordance with public sector norms to CEOs for their attendance...

Written Answers — Expenditure Reviews: Expenditure Reviews (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A public service-wide review of allowances, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2012, is currently being led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Under Circular 70/2011 teachers who had been engaged in a public sector teaching post on or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the qualification allowances they were entitled to be in receipt of on that date. Such...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A revised Leaving Certificate curriculum in Irish began in all schools in September 2010 for first examination in 2012. The revised programme provides for an increase in the proportion of marks available for oral assessment to 40%, and is aimed at promoting a significant shift in emphasis towards Irish as a spoken language, where students can communicate and interact in a spontaneous way, and...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am not in a position to give a publication date for the value for money review of small primary schools but I can confirm the review will be published. Work is well advanced and I expect that the report of the review should be available to me shortly. The review is being conducted in line with the standard procedures for the conduct of value for money reviews under the guidance of a...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On 11th January, I asked my Department for a report on the impact of the withdrawal of certain posts allocated under previous disadvantaged schemes in DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 primary schools. Due to conflicting and, in some cases, exaggerated numbers of posts being reported as potentially lost to schools it was necessary to obtain clarity with regard to the net effect of a range of factors on...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: For the current academic year the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) has 45 trained mentors at Post Primary level who are registered and active with the Programme. Since September an additional 12 Post Primary teachers have received training as mentors. There are an additional 74 Post Primary teachers currently undergoing training as mentors and another 46 Post Primary...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 57 together. There is no increase in the staffing schedule general average of 28:1 for the allocation of classroom teachers at primary level. However, there is a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools. As part of the Budget decisions announced, the number of pupils required to gain and...